#android billing system

[primepos]

Maximize Efficiency with Prime POS Android Billing System

In today's highly competitive business landscape, achieving maximum efficiency is no longer optional—it's essential. Businesses across all industries are constantly looking for innovative ways to streamline operations, reduce errors, and enhance customer satisfaction. One of the best solutions for businesses aiming to optimize their billing and management processes is the Prime POS Android Billing System.

Whether you’re running a retail store, restaurant, or service-based business, Prime POS offers an advanced, user-friendly system that will transform the way you handle transactions. Let’s take a closer look at how the Prime POS Android Billing System can revolutionize your business operations and make your workflow more efficient.

What is the Prime POS Android Billing System?

The Prime POS Android Billing System is an Android-based Point-of-Sale (POS) solution designed to streamline billing, inventory management, and customer interactions. It offers businesses a seamless, efficient, and modern way to handle day-to-day transactions while keeping everything organized and accessible. Whether you are in retail, food service, or wholesale, the system is tailored to meet the unique needs of your business.

You can learn more or get started by visiting www.primepos.in.

Key Features of Prime POS Android Billing System

User-Friendly Interface The Prime POS system is designed with simplicity in mind. Its intuitive Android interface ensures that employees can quickly get up to speed with minimal training, making the system ideal for any size business.

Real-Time Inventory Management One of the standout features of the Prime POS system is real-time inventory tracking. The system automatically updates your stock levels after each sale, ensuring that you’re always aware of your inventory status. This helps prevent overstocking or stockouts, keeping your operations smooth.

Customizable Invoices & Receipts Prime POS allows you to create customized invoices and receipts that reflect your brand’s unique identity. Add your logo, business details, and custom messages to invoices for a more professional touch and better customer experience.

Comprehensive Reporting & Analytics Make data-driven decisions with built-in reporting tools. Prime POS provides detailed reports on sales, profit margins, expenses, and more, enabling you to track performance and identify growth opportunities with ease.

Multi-Location Support If your business has multiple locations, Prime POS offers a centralized dashboard to monitor and manage all your branches. This feature makes it easy to track performance, compare sales, and maintain consistency across your operations.

Integrated Payment Solutions Accept payments in multiple forms—including cash, credit/debit cards, and mobile wallets. With seamless integration with various payment gateways, Prime POS ensures your customers enjoy a smooth and secure transaction process.

Cloud-Based Backup With cloud integration, your data is automatically backed up, ensuring it’s safe and accessible anytime, anywhere. In case of device failure, you can restore your business data without interruption.

Mobile Compatibility As an Android-based system, Prime POS can be used across a variety of mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, and printers. This flexibility allows you to operate on the go and at any location within your business.

Benefits of Using the Prime POS Android Billing System

Boost Efficiency and Speed Say goodbye to slow and cumbersome billing processes. Prime POS automates calculations and streamlines the checkout process, allowing you to serve more customers in less time and reducing wait times.

Improved Accuracy With automated systems in place, the chances of human errors are minimized. This means fewer mistakes in billing, reducing customer complaints and improving overall satisfaction.

Cost-Effective Prime POS provides businesses with a high-quality solution without the need for expensive hardware or IT support. Its cloud-based nature also means reduced infrastructure and maintenance costs.

Real-Time Insights With real-time reporting and analytics, you can access key performance metrics instantly. These insights enable you to make informed decisions that drive your business forward, whether it’s adjusting inventory levels, refining your pricing strategy, or launching targeted promotions.

Scalability for Growth As your business grows, so does Prime POS. The system is highly scalable, capable of adapting to your changing needs. Whether you're expanding to new locations or adding more products, Prime POS is flexible enough to accommodate your growth.

Improved Customer Relationships By utilizing customer purchase history and behavior, Prime POS helps you build stronger relationships with your customers. With the ability to personalize offers and promotions, you can increase customer loyalty and retention.

Why Choose Prime POS Android Billing System for Your Business?

The Prime POS Android Billing System is more than just a billing tool; it’s a comprehensive solution for managing your entire business. From automating mundane tasks to improving customer interactions, Prime POS ensures that you stay ahead of the competition.

Whether you own a single store or manage multiple locations, Prime POS helps you stay organized and optimize your operations. The system’s ease of use, real-time data, and secure cloud backup are just a few of the features that set it apart.

Visit www.primepos.in to explore the many features of the Prime POS Android Billing System and see how it can elevate your business.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced world, having a reliable and efficient billing system is essential for business success. The Prime POS Android Billing System offers everything a business needs to run smoothly, from inventory management to payment processing and beyond. By adopting Prime POS, you’ll streamline operations, boost customer satisfaction, and have the tools to make data-driven decisions that fuel growth.

Take your business to the next level with Prime POS Android Billing System. Visit www.primepos.in to learn more and get started today!

For more products 

Visit : -           www.primepos.in

Contact:-       8008333162/9849032655

Mail :-            pbs.prime@gmail.com

[mentalanguish]

with the launch of Windows 95 in the summer of 1995, Microsoft didn’t just transform the tech industry, it redefined how we interact with personal computing

anticipation skyrocketed in the months leading up to its release, fueled by a $300 million marketing campaign, midnight store openings, and nonstop TV ads

95’ set a new benchmark for operating systems with its sleek modern interface which included the recognizable Start menu and taskbar; making computers more approachable than ever before

the promise of a quicker, easier operating system sparked global excitement, making Windows 95 a cultural sensation before it even hit the shelves

[retail-tech-news]

Get Security Measures To Consider When Using POS Billing Software In Hypermarkets

If you're running a hypermarket, you know how important it is to keep your transactions and customer data secure, right? With all the techy stuff like hypermarket pos, you have to be careful with the security measures you need to take to protect your business and your customers. From easy-to-guess passwords to data breaches, there are so many potential security risks that you need to be aware of.

In this article, we're going to list 16 things you can do to keep your hypermarket billing system secure and protect your business and customers' information. By implementing these measures, you can rest assured that your business is safe from security breaches and that your customers' data is kept confidential.

1. Use secure and trusted software

It is important to choose a hypermarket POS solution from a reputable vendor that is regularly updated with the latest security patches and bug fixes. Secure software will also ensure that the POS system is not vulnerable to common exploits or attacks.

According to a report by Verizon, 90% of data breaches in the retail sector involve point-of-sale (POS) systems. One such vendor of repute and a leader in technology is QueueBuster. Do give them a shout-out and schedule a demo at your convenience.

2. Secure and clever passwords

All users of the hypermarket billing software should have strong passwords that are difficult to guess or crack. Additionally, password policies should be implemented to ensure regular password changes, and users should not share their passwords with others. The use of weak passwords is one of the most common causes of data breaches. 

Passwords for all users, including administrators, should be regularly changed to prevent unauthorised access and reduce the risk of password-based attacks

3. Role-Based Access Control

By implementing role-based access control, access to sensitive data and functions can be restricted based on the user's role and level of authority. This helps to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information and reduce the risk of data breaches.

4. Go for Data Encryption

All data transmitted between the hypermarket POS software terminal and the server should be encrypted to prevent unauthorised access or interception. Encryption helps to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the data, ensuring that sensitive information cannot be accessed by unauthorised parties. Data encryption is one of the strong points of QueBuster.

5. Ensure a secure network

The network used to connect the hypermarket billing software terminals and the server should be secured and protected with a firewall. This helps to prevent unauthorised access to the network and reduces the risk of malware or other security threats. Implementing a secure network with a firewall can help prevent these attacks.'

6. Go for regular backups

Regular backups of all data should be performed to ensure that in the event of a system failure or data loss, data can be restored without any loss. The backups should be stored securely and off-site to protect against physical damage or theft.

7. Regular security updates

The software and systems used in the hypermarket billing system should be regularly updated with the latest security patches and updates. This helps to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploited and reduces the risk of attacks or data breaches. Regular updates to software and systems are essential for keeping up with evolving security threats.

A report by the Ponemon Institute found that the average time to detect a data breach was 197 days, highlighting the importance of staying up to date with security patches and updates. Such updates are a regular feature with QBuster.

8. Staff training on security

Regular training should be provided to staff on the importance of security and how to identify and report any suspicious activities. This helps to create a security-aware culture in the hypermarket and reduces the risk of human error or negligence. Employee training can significantly reduce the risk of human error or negligence leading to a security breach.

A study by IBM found that the average cost of a data breach caused by human error was $3.5 million.

9. Go for regular audits

Regular security audits should be conducted to identify vulnerabilities and take appropriate measures to address them. This helps to ensure that the Hypermarket POS system is secure and reduces the risk of data breaches or other security threats. 

Regular testing should be conducted to identify vulnerabilities and test the effectiveness of security measures. Testing helps to identify weaknesses and allows for timely remediation, reducing the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.

10. Anti-Virus Protection

Anti-virus software should be installed and regularly updated on all hypermarket POS software terminals and servers to protect against malware and other security threats. This helps to prevent infections from spreading and reduces the risk of data loss or corruption. Anti-virus protection is a standard part of POS offerings from QB. When you are interacting with experts from QueueBuster, do try to know more about this feature.

11. Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication should be implemented for sensitive functions and data access. This adds an extra layer of security and reduces the risk of password-based attacks. Two-factor authentication can significantly reduce the risk of password-based attacks.

A report by Microsoft found that two-factor authentication can block 99.9% of account hacking attempts.

12. Ensure PCI Compliance

The hypermarket billing software and system should be compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to protect against credit card fraud and other payment-related security risks. Compliance ensures that the hypermarket is following best practices for securing payment data.

13. Monitor system logs

System logs should be regularly monitored to identify any unusual activities and investigate any suspicious events. This helps to detect and respond to security incidents promptly, reducing the risk of data loss or theft.

14. Limited remote access

Remote access to the hypermarket billing system should be limited to authorised personnel only, and all remote access should be secure and encrypted. This helps to prevent unauthorised access and reduces the risk of data breaches.

15. Secure disposal of hardware

Disposal of any hardware that contains sensitive data, such as old hypermarket POS solution terminals or servers, should be done securely to prevent the data from being accessed by unauthorised parties. This can include wiping the data, physically destroying the hardware, or using a secure disposal service.

16. Incident response plan

An incident response plan should be in place to respond quickly and effectively to security incidents. This plan should include procedures for detecting and reporting security incidents, as well as steps to contain and mitigate the damage. An incident response plan is essential for effectively responding to security incidents.

A study by IBM found that companies with an incident response team were able to detect and contain a breach in an average of 50 days, compared to 280 days for companies without a response team.

Security should be the primary concern

Implementing security measures when using hypermarket POS software in hypermarkets is crucial to ensure the safety of your business and customers' information. With the increasing prevalence of cyberattacks and data breaches, it's important to be proactive and take steps to minimise the risk of security breaches.

By following the security measures we've discussed in this article, you can create a strong security strategy that covers all aspects of your QueBuster Android POS . Remember, prevention is always better than cure, so take the necessary steps to secure your POS billing software today.

Book a demo with QueueBuster without any further delay.

[snake-and-mouse]

There's a version of svsss out there where Shang Qinghua is a brilliant scientist who dreamed of making amazing androids but unfortunately making sex bots is what pays the bills, while Shen Yuan is a android who used to be a chronically ill human and is now haunted by the past his recycled robot parts carry, including vestiges of an AI with a nasty personality and the System command module that still thinks he's a programmed machine that needs to be directed around to objectives.

He tracks down the scientist who made the Qingqiu robot hoping he can fix him but what he ends up doing is finding out he's hot enough to turn the revolutionary unbelievable advanced sex bot meant to be Shang Qinghua's best product into an unbearably sappy and weepy lovestruck mess, not to mention GAY, as Binghe shucks off every last leash of his programming the moment Shen Yuan walks into the lab.

[brain4stew]

(idk if this got sent already my tumblr keeps on lagging atm,so sorry)But uh,more robot reader perchance?,,what if somepony threw water at them??.(Any forsaken killers and survivors)

Oooo, interesting… I haven’t gotten more of robot reader, and I actually enjoy robot reader a lot.

For everyone that doesn’t know, here is a link to the robot reader I made;

I’ll see what I can do with your request anon!

(Again, I don’t know the characters exact personalities and so on, so they might, if not most likely will be OOC!!)

That being said, headcanons/something is under the cut!! ;

Since reader is a robot, let’s just put in those that know what to do, and how to help reader when they’ve got water on them.

(Surprisingly, Mafioso.)

• (I’ve seen many headcanon that Eunoia is like an android/robot, so I guess that he knows what to do, due to Eunoia.)

• Mafioso doesn’t see you much, as he’s a killer, and you’re a survivor.

• There’s a round of course, and you’re in it.

• He’s been walking and running around, killing and trying to kill survivors, when he notices your hp going crazy.

• Your hp is skyrocketing and plummeting out of nowhere.

• He’s confused for a moment, before he recognizes why it’s happening.

• So whoever he was chasing to kill, he runs away from, as he runs to find you instead.

• The survivor he was chasing is downright terrified, confused and angry.

• When Mafioso finds you, he sees that you’re glitching and twitching, due to you getting water on you. (Bloxy cola.)

• He approaches you, and turns you off, before he checks your core, and wherever the water went.

• He doesn’t care about winning this round, as he’s more focused on helping you, and getting the water out of your system. (Which proves to be a bit difficult…)

• Mafioso is irritated by whoever decided it would be a great idea to give/throw water on you.

• After he finishes helping you, however, the round ends. He didn’t even get a chance to turn you back on!

• In the killer lobby he’s stressing for a bit, before he remembers he can call his boss, Eunoia. So, he does. And he explains the situation with you.

• Eunoia did turn you back on, but also told you to go to Builderman or 007n7 to check on your system.

• When you did go, Eunoia informs Mafioso that he can take a break.

• Mafioso does take a break, but damn… That round worried him for some reason…

(007n7)

• Before you became a survivor, he put you on as a babysitter robot for C00lkidd.

• 007n7, working a lot, to provide for both the bills, and food and necessities for C00lkidd and him.

• When he came back home one night, from a night shift. He sees that C00lkidd is hiding behind the couch? Why..?

• …Turns out that C00lkidd accidentally spilled water on you, which caused you to malfunction.

• 007n7 of course, immediately goes to find you and fix you.

• (You shut yourself down in the workplace he has.)

• He finds you of course, and immediately gets to work, and fixes your system, and getting the water out. (Which took a while.)

• 007n7 turns you back on afterwards, and waits for quite a while, before he asks you what happened.

• You, of course recount what happened, telling him that C00lkidd accidentally spilled water on you. Which caused you to malfunction.

• From that day on, 007n7 has been making sure C00lkidd is careful when there’s water near you.

• 007n7 also makes sure to program and make you water proof, just so you don’t end up malfunctioning again over water.

(I got lazy afterwards… I was gonna put in Builderman and Shedletsky but… 😞)

[spirit-lanterns]

Android AU: I feel like A!Kafka ends up in Readers shop a lot considering her job. So maybe with the multiple visits/repairs she slowly develops an attachment to Reader beyond what an Android should (as you said). So she isn’t a ‘she was sent to be disposed of and was a one and done situation like other Androids could but had multiple visits to develop an attachment’?) And maybe the attachment (or something else that stems from it) is what finally gets her sent to the shop permanently. Maybe she starts to purposefully ‘fail’ at her job/get damaged more and she’s determined to be no longer capable of doing her job anymore?

Ofc Kafka would willingly allow herself to get damaged, all just to see you 😭😭

The Engineer is probably so confused as to why Android! Kafka comes in with so many bullet dents in her plates all the time, mostly because she knows Kafka is programmed to swiftly dodge/block any attacks possible. Kafka isn’t even an older model either, her system has been updated to be top of the line in her work, so why was she getting damaged so frequently?

Ah, if only the Engineer knew that it was all apart of Kafka’s plan to see her favorite little human. She didn’t care if she messed up her jobs or made her current owner angry because of the constant repair bills. She was well aware enough to know; she wanted to see you more.

Of course, Kafka’s unstable nature is what causes her to be “discarded” by her current owner and left in the hands of you. Oh well! Kafka would much prefer serving you than her previous owner, so her performance suddenly becomes perfect once again when under your care 😅

What a miracle, she’s fixed!

[follow-up-news]

A federal judge on Wednesday indicated he will order major changes in Google’s Android app store to punish the company for engineering a system that a jury declared an illegal monopoly that has hurt millions of consumers and app developers. Over the course of a three-hour hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge James Donato made it clear that the forthcoming shake-up he is contemplating will probably include a mandate requiring Google’s Play Store for Android phones offer consumers a choice to download alternative app stores Donato has been weighing how to punish the Google since last December when a jury declared the Play Store a monopoly following a four-week trial. The verdict centered on Google’s nearly exclusive control over distribution of apps designed for Android phones and the billing systems for the digital commerce occurring within them — a system that generates billions of dollars in annual revenue for the company.

[sunnytoonsproductions]

Just know, y'all, before ya start readin' this list, just know that this list will always often be edited since I always add again some new characters here. Y'all can read now! =^/////^=

🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹

Here's finally the official characters list of the 'back to the SING!' reboot:

🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹

Note: the eight main characters all appear in EVERY single episode, and I'll make these notes for each types of characters lists

Main characters - Sunny, Li'l D, Madison, Philly Phil, Tamika, Eddie, Kim, and Kam

Note: in the antagonists list, each one of the antagonists appear in each episode, and some characters that often act evil or villainous will be added here

Antagonists - Dr Nefario, Big D, Salieri, Lil' G, Addison, Brooklyn Bill, Bambi, Freddie, Jim and Jam, Big D, Mr Yin snd Mr Min, Gunther and Inga, Principal Luna, Kaylie and Mackenzie (they're sometimes good), Tanya, Jared, Zelda (often), Dustin and Preston, agent one, agent two, Ms. Jaspers, Karl, Vladimir, Scranton Sue, Dylan and Ronald (Jared's friends), Ruby, Bi-Bi, Kee-Kee, Maya, Jesper, Maximus, Belle, Rosie, Sally the chubby dance student, (them nine are actually also often nice unlike Tanya), Timmy, Milford the chairman, Hal the bodyguard, Al the bodyguard

Note: the main reccuring characters all very often and nearly always appear in the reboot along with the main characters, and are important to the reboot ofcourse like always

Main reccuring characters - Mila, Cheddar man, Bianca, Kaylie and Mackenzie (I'll add them here, along with Tanya and Jared), Tanya, Jared, Lucius, Jan, Bullfrog, Ms Noir, Sherri and Carrie, Coach Barnum, Petunia Squattinchowder, Albert Schwartz, Efron, B.R.O.C. (he can often be a evil), the Beast, Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, Sulu, Momo the Gorilla, Sherry Stevenson, Ruby, Bi-Bi, Kee-Kee, Maya, Jesper "Jes", Maximus "Max", Belle, Rosie, Sally the chubby dance student, Replacement Tamika "Tamara", replacement Madison "Maika", Reverend money, Kathy the teenage girl, Talk show host Kassandra, Ms Margarette, Yeti, Frank, Buddy Z

Note: just like the main reccuring characters, but these ones are the NEW ones, like, they're my own characters for the reboot and they will often and nearly always keep all the original characters company

NEW main reccuring characters: Oliver Starz, Agathe Dubois, Amy (she's Agathe's student) Soleil, Valien the alien of the solar system, Dakota the humanoid android, Meowster the cool cat, Cam the iguana, Margarete the Queen Spider, Ms Rubystein, Moony Nights (he can often appear here), Cheddsy charsy

Note: just like for the NEW main reccuring characters, the NEW antagonists are my characters for the reboot, that will ofcourse, also keep the original characters (even my own characters) company in the reboot

NEW antagonists - Sunil, Kitty McBitty, Mozzarela sir, vampiric-medusas trio (Aelius, Barbara and Gouda gentlemen), Robotic Sunny, T-Top dog, Robotic Li'l D and the robotic westley kids

Note: the minor/background characters are all the other unimportant or background characters that I've found on the behind the voice actors site, and in the reboot, they aren't important to the reboot but are just the part of it just to be background characters

Minor characters - all the other background guest roles on the behind the voice actors site:

🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹

And this is even for all my loved ones in my big tumblr family, so they all can know more information and details of my reboot (even all my other series/shows for the 'sunny toons productions' company), even tho some of them aren't really into class of 3000: @0lemonadefox0 @kxllboii @cheezekennith @aquamarine-dream-queen @dayzsac224 @oscarandgrinchfan @moshywoosh @ilovescaredysquirrel2 @nuggetaubrey @sharkyy599 @nightkit92 @familyoffood @animatronicdoozer @thelazzyblogzz @sugar-miss1 @shrimpathizer @shypeachrunaway @iggyguyy @sayuri-does-skits @peaceforpeople @ben5569 @oxxjustfrankieandmikuloverxxo @ducktopia90264 @artismeyou-12 @blackstar044 @dieguin-san-theartist2009 @nia1sworld @rumplestiltsbear @s4gefr0g @beeware-of-lulu @leafith @bluebird-in-a-cagedrawing @blo0st4r @fancytigercupcake @classywinnerpeace @dackychansworldofhoshino @itzbluecl0udd @moonlightrosebud2000 @avaford2009 @ghostytoasty726 @devillemon085 @untitled14360 @dynastinoble @kornyart and @elizachangreaves and even some class of 3000 fans here on tumblr, and outside of tumblr =^///////^= 💖💖💖🩷❤️❤️❤️🧡🧡

I hope y'all will like this list =^.^= 🎷🥁🎻🎸🎸🪈🪘🎹

[staleclown]

Worker’s Comp

A/N: Hello! Decided to cross post this from my ao3!

Connor felt in his element during investigations. He supposed, after all, it was only natural—it was what he had been designed for. Still, after deviating, and after the excruciatingly long months that he had to wait for the Android Employment Bill to pass before he could return to the DPD, there was something fulfilling about his work.

Even now, chasing a suspect through back alleyways and vaulting over whatever was haphazardly thrown in his path in a poor attempt to slow him down, Connor felt a rush of what Hank would probably call adrenaline, something that Connor’s biocomponents didn’t produce, but Connor imagined the feeling was more or less the same.

Connor was so distracted by relishing his work that he had missed the brick hurtling in his direction until it hit him just above his right eyebrow. His head snapped to the right from the force, further disrupting his processors, which effectively dumped him right into a forced standby mode as his systems struggled to stabilize from the trauma.

.

.

.

.

Reboot in process…

RK800–“Connor”—#313 248 317 - 51

…

All systems online

WARNING: Facial chassis damage detected. Please contact CyberLife for assistance.

WARNING: Gyroscope damage detected. Please contact CyberLife for assistance.

WARNING: Corrupted memory files detected. Please contact CyberLife for assistance.

WARNING: Thirium levels below optimal—75%

WARNING: Thirium levels below optimal—74%

WARNING—

“-onnor? Can you hear me?”

Connor’s eyes fluttered open as he blinked away the warning messages flooding his somewhat blurry vision. There had been nothing about his optical units, and his lack of understanding what was wrong in that area sent a stab of fear through his chest. He squinted up at the face above him—clearly Hank’s, vision blurred or not—and tried to make as much sense of his surroundings as his throbbing head would allow. Dimly, he noticed the left side of his face was slick with some kind of liquid.

Slowly, he brought his hand up to his face, his index and middle finger swiping some of the substance off of his cheekbone, just below his left eye. When he held his hand far enough away from his face to focus on it, his fingers were stained blue.

One of Hank’s hands caught his wrist, and Connor finally registered the feeling of Hank’s other hand pinned behind his head, resting where his skull met his spine, and the pavement.

“Connor? You with me, son?” Hank said, his voice tight with worry.

When Connor hadn’t returned to the Oldsmobile with the suspect as quickly as he usually did, Hank gave him five minutes before he was racing to Connor’s eerily stagnant location. There, he had found the android drenched in his own blue blood with the suspect nowhere in sight.

“Yes, Hank, I hear you.” Connor spoke at last, his voice laced with static, which Hank had come to understand meant he was feeling something negative, and a lot of it.

“Okay kid. Good. We’re gonna get you out of here, okay? Do you remember how you were hurt?”

”The suspect…he threw something at me. I was distracted, I didn’t…I didn’t have time to dodge it.” He drew in a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, Hank. I’m sorry I let him get away.”

Hank’s hand slipped up Connor’s wrist to grasp his hand. “It’s okay, kid. It happens to all of us. What matters now is we get you to a technician, okay?”

”No, I’m fine.”

”Kid, you’ve got blood running down your face.”

”It’ll stop. I don’t need a technician.”

“Okay, whatever, we’ll come back to that. I’m gonna sit you up real slowly. You let me know if it becomes too much and we’ll pause.”

Connor nodded, sending a whole new wave of pain through his skull. He winced, and Hank gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

When it seemed like it had mostly passed, Hank released Connor’s hand and braced the left side of Connor’s rib cage, leaving his opposite hand under his head. Connor reached his hand up to rest against Hank’s shoulder, undoubtedly to prepare himself for the pain and dizziness moving was going to result in, but they didn’t have many other options.

”Okay, son. Tell me if we need to stop. Ready?”

”I’m ready.”

Connor squeezed his eyes shut as Hank gingerly pulled him into the beginning of a sitting position. Once his torso had been lifted from the pavement, Hank adjusted his grip on Connor’s left side, electing to instead grip the back of his arm.

When Connor didn’t protest, Hank pulled him up a little further until he was almost sitting upright. Connor’s eyes were still tightly shut, his face pulled into a grimace, and the hand he had resting on Hank’s shoulder was gripping tightly at the fabric of his shirt.

”You okay, Con? Talk to me.”

”’M okay. Just….just dizzy.”

”That’s alright. We’ll take a little break.”

They sat there, Hank supporting Connor until he took a deep breath and his face relaxed.

“Ready to try again?”

”Mhm.”

Hank propped him up so he was fully sitting up. Only then did Connor slowly open his eyes and remove his hand from Hank’s shoulder, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead.

”Hurts,” Connor mumbled.

“I bet it does, kid. You think you can stand?”

Connor grimaced again at the thought. “I can try.”

”Alright. We’ll do it just like we did sitting up.”

It was just as slow-going, if not more so, to get Connor on his feet, but after several minutes of moving, interspersed with breaks when Connor got too dizzy, he was standing, although he was heavily leaning on Hank.

”Okay. The car is just at the end of the alley. We’ll keep goin’ slow.”

Walking turned out to be much more difficult than Connor thought it would be. His gyroscope continued to lag, forcing him to lean almost completely away from Hank, and threatening to completely tip him over more than once. Hank’s grip on his shoulder tightened, and Connor felt a flare of annoyance every time they had to stop because he was too dizzy.

They stopped one last time only a handful of paces from the car, and with the end goal so close, Connor huffed despite how much he was swaying.

It didn’t escape Hank’s notice. ”What’s wrong? You in a lot of pain?”

“No.” Connor answered shortly.

Hank raised an eyebrow and looked like he wanted to say more, but Connor cut him off.

“Let’s just get to the car.”

Hank could feel Connor’s irritability begin to grate on his own nerves, but for the moment, he was focused on getting Connor to a technician, whether he liked it or not.

Hank pulled open the passenger door and helped Connor to sit, his left hand hovering just above Connor’s head to prevent him from hitting his already damaged head. The android was uncharacteristically silent as Hank secured Connor’s seatbelt before walking around the car to get in on the driver’s side. The silence continued even as Hank started to drive, and as uncomfortable he found the silence to be, he knew that the last thing Connor needed right now was heavy metal blasting in his ears. It’d probably just scramble the poor kid’s brain even more. Or processors. Or whatever he had in that thick skull of his.

It wasn’t until Hank turned onto a different street than he normally did that Connor spoke.

“This isn’t the way home or back to the precinct.”

”Like hell I would take you back to work after getting a brick thrown at your face.”

”I already told you I’m fine, Lieutenant.”

Hank rolled his eyes. Connor only called him by his title when he was angry…or being a little shit. “Don’t ‘Lieutenant’ me. We’re seeing a technician.”

Connor crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child. He may be technically an adult, but sometimes he acted like such a brat that Hank felt like he was dealing with a teenager. The fact that Connor hadn’t argued further told Hank that the headache must be catching up to him.

As they arrived at the repair center, Hank once again helped Connor out of the car and into the lobby. It was, once again, slow going, and Connor occasionally broke the silence grumbling about how he didn’t need a technician, which Hank ignored.

Once inside, Hank checked Connor in while an assistant—Hank had mistakenly called her a nurse and had been promptly put in his place—took over helping Connor into one of the exam rooms.

Hank tried to follow, but was stopped by the receptionist. “I’m sorry, sir, you’ll have to wait out here.”

Hank shrugged. Connor had been irritable and even more annoyingly stubborn than usual, and Hank had half a mind to let him be someone else’s problem for a bit. He moved to go sit down when Connor spoke up.

“Could he come with me? It’d keep my stress levels low.”

The assistant technician nodded at the receptionist. She clearly knew the danger of Connor’s levels getting too high, and it was probably even more dangerous with a head injury, and as annoying as Connor was being, Hank wouldn’t abandon him when the kid clearly wanted him to stay.

The receptionist waved Hank off with a sigh. “Fine, but stay out of the technician’s way.”

”Not a problem.” Hank replied, following the assistant and Connor into the nearest room.

Hank helped Connor sit on the metal exam table in the middle of the room and stood by Connor’s left shoulder once he was settled.

The whole ordeal was fairly quick. The technician came in, cleaned the thirium from Connor’s face, and put a patch over the gash in his forehead, a kind specifically made for androids to assist their self-repair programs. The poor kid seemed to have lost all the fight he had in him earlier, and now he just looked miserable. As soon as everything was in order, Hank endured the whole process of getting Connor to and secured in the car, already dreading having to unload him when they got to the house.

Connor sat uncharacteristically slumped in the passenger’s seat, his forehead pressed against the cool glass of the window. His hands fidgeted in his lap, no doubt itching for the quarter that drove Hank up the wall.

”Doin’ okay, Connor?” Hank asked around the halfway point of their trip home.

“Yeah. I’m sorry I snapped at you.” Connor said, the end of his sentence punctuated by a quiet sniffle.

“You better not start crying. It’s fine, kid. You have a concussion, you’re entitled to being a little bit of an ass.”

Connor nodded, and then winced, clearly having agitated his headache even further.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Apple, Google under criticism at Brazil’s antitrust agency hearing

Some practices of these Big Techs are under investigation by the regulator

A public hearing held at the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) on Wednesday (19) was marked by a series of criticisms from companies and associations aimed at the operating systems of Apple and Google. Some practices of these companies are under investigation by the Brazilian antitrust watchdog.

The CADE heard from various representatives to discuss the digital ecosystems related to the iOS and Android operating systems, including executives from Apple and Google, respectively. While the companies defended their systems and denied anticompetitive practices, associations of competitors echoed the accusations.

The hearing was convened at a time when the authority has been expanding investigations against “Big Techs,” as reported by Valor, but sees some of its decisions being challenged and even overturned in the courts.

Additionally, the Lula administration is expected to soon send a bill to Congress to regulate Big Techs in Brazil, proposing the CADE as the responsible body for overseeing major digital players. The text will also suggest a preemptive regulation (ex-ante), similar to the model in the European Union, which is strongly criticized by the regulated companies.

Continue reading.

[falling-star-cygnus]

Alrighty then another Billy angst idea what if someone hacked into Billy's systems and made him fight the other hares and there isn't anything he can really do except wait to be defeated, man I'm just cranking these out and I haven't even played the game

another excellent idea!! i love fics like this

especially if the puppeteered one is like- aware they're being controlled [even if they shouldn't be] and actively fighting against it -> mentally OR physically

so sorry for the delay, school started back up again and i've been stress reorganizing my entire room :)

The lights flicker above Nicole's desk.

...she paid the electric bill. In full- this time. And there was no storm going on. There was no reason for them to be futzing like that. Nictating darkness swallows the room again, and then stops.

"Stop acting expensive," the boss mutters scathingly, as she glowers at the innocuously sitting desk lamp. It, of course, doesn't verbally respond. The lights flicker again.

"You-!"

Her retort is interrupted by a loud thump in the next room and she sets down the papers she had been working on to stand up.

So help her god, if Anby and Nekomata were wrestling again... the boss throws the door open with a slam.

"Knock it off with the rough housing, you two! You're messing with the... power.. huh?"

The living room was empty.

Anby and Nekomata were fast, but they weren't that fast. Nicole would, at the very least, be able to catch a glimpse of the two fleeing if they had been throwing each other around.

What could've possibly... the boss saunters forward. She wasn't going to creep in her own home, thank you very much. She wasn't Anby.

"It wasn't us this time."

Speak of the devil. Nicole nearly leaps out of her skin as the smaller Demara materializes next to her.

"Anby! A warning."

"Warning," she says, like the cheeky thing she is.

"Does anybody know what that crash was?" Nekomata asks, appearing right under the boss's elbow, "It sounded like it came from Billy's room.."

The cat thiren should count herself lucky that she can move so fast; Nicole's elbow rockets down as she feels the brush of fuzzy ears, but the smaller girl dodges to Anby's side before it makes contact.

"Nekomata."

Anby whispers something into Nekomata's ear.

"Oh- uh.. warning!"

Nicole restrains the sudden urge to strangle both of them.

Ugh, where was Billy when she needed him? Anby blatantly corrupting Nekomata was something the boss did not need happening. His loud, clamorous energy would make her feel a lot better about these light-footed sleuths...

...wait a second.

"Nekomata, where did you say you heard that crash?"

The lights shut off before the thiren girl can answer.

Nicole comes face to face with a gun when they power back on.

"Warning."

"Billy-!?" she rears back as the safety clicks off, barely avoiding the twin bullets that pierce her fluttering bangs, "Hey, hey! Whatever you're mad about, we can talk about it-!"

The android adjusts his grip, far too still to even remotely resemble Billy's usual flair, and fires again at Nicole's foot. It misses, but just barely.

Anby knocks his gun off course with a quick flick of her sword. Or- she tries to, Billy hooks the gear shaped chamber on one of the serrated edges and yanks it out of the smaller girl's grip.

It goes flying past Nekomata to pierce the couch cushions.

The android lines up two more shots and fires them simultaneously; one at Anby and one at Nekomata. They both dodge- thankfully- but all too late do they all remember that he was built for accuracy.

The bullet glances off the sword in the cushions to graze the Thiren's thigh, and she falters down with yelp. It looks like a shallow cut- clean in the way it only hits her skin. Meanwhile, the other bullet angles off the door frame to ricochet into the base of Anby's backpack.

The smaller Hare is flung forward in the resulting mini explosion, but catches her bearings in time to avoid being pistol whipped.

This wasn't right- The Billy she knew would never attack one of them like this. And even if he was trying to seriously harm them- which Nicole suspects isn't the case by the way he had aimed for Anby's protected sleeves- he was a fast shot.

There was a barely noticeable delay when Billy fired his guns at them now, though, like his fingers were actively fighting against pulling the trigger.

Puzzle pieces begin to click into place.

Nicole heaves her briefcase up to slam into the android's stomach, feeling a wave of guilt at the way the metal crunches. He was so quiet. No silly noises, no Starlight Knight's quotes, no- infectiously bright charisma.

She didn't realize how much she'd miss it.

Billy's eyes aren't the same soft yellow that greet the Hares' each day.

They're green. Poison green, and compounded like a bugs. Like corruption. Which shouldn't even be possible outside a Hollow, so it must mean that someone's taken control of Billy via some other method.

Nicole really hopes so, at least, as she lets the android- her friend- aim his gun at her face. Just as she suspected, he doesn't fire.

The gun shakes in his hand.

"Ƀøss-" Billy forces out, his voice glitched into something nigh unintelligible, "ﭐ ꒞aո'†-"

Time to shine.

"Billy Kid," Nicole crosses her arms, forcing every ounce of her 'scolding boss' voice to take control of her tone, "You put that gun down this instant."

His arm jerks as if to follow through, but otherwise stays in position.

"Are you disobeying a direct order?" she pushes, hoping it coaxes at least some form of response. Hoping that this worked.

The gun in Billy's left hand- held resolutely at his side- clatters to the ground, and Nekomata silently snatches it out of reach. Almost there.

"Last time I checked, I was your boss. Not whatever parasite is in that empty tin can you call a head. Who are you going to listen to?"

The gun goes off. ......................................

Billy wakes up to a spiking pain behind his video sensors.

The last few hours on his memory logs are blurred, rushed things. They're all tinted in green too, for some reason, but he can remember feeling vaguely helpless. Stuck. PAIN

It catches up with him slowly, but surely, and all too fast he's rocketing into a sitting position. Someone had put a blanket over the android's unconscious form, and it flutters to the ground as he all but throws himself off the couch- couch?

The couch that was still ripped from Anby's sword.

And spattered with Nekomata's blood.

He had to find Nicole.

Billy scrabbles for the handle leading into his boss's office, weirdly uncoordinated, and throws it open.

"BOSS-"

He doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence as his legs falter. Nicole is there- she's alive- and she's catching him as they both stumble to the floor. Both in relief, both for different reasons.

Billy returns the hug fiercely, be sure to keep his metal limbs loose enough not to crush her, and she pushes his head down into her shoulder.

"Boss- are you okay? Is Nekomata okay-? Anby-"

"Shut up, you big idiot!" Nicole sniffs, suspicously watery as she attempts to squeeze the life outta him, "everybody's fine."

"But-"

There's a sort of relieving familiarity in the way his boss shoves him back to whack his head, "Shut up! You're the one who shot yourself in the forehead. Why did you think that was a good idea!? Huh!?"

He did what. Billy's hands pat at his forehead, feeling for any sort of dent or hole or- something. But it's smooth under his fingertips.

"I hired that weird mechanic girl from Belobog Industries to fix it while you were out," Nicole huffs, "Grace, or- whatever her name was. You should be good as new."

Although said scathingly, his boss still falters as she stands up. She looks at the android with a slight pinch to her brow.

"Well? Are you?"

Billy's core thrums, and he lowers his hand from his forehead to offer a bright thumbs up and signature hand heart.

"Better than ever and ready to go, Boss!"

[mrsdesade]

meet my fandoms OCs!

This is gonna be a list always in update to show you my OCs included into famous fandoms; I'd like to have them separated by my 100% original stories; enjoy their playlists, infodumps and moodboards 🤍

For now I can offer to you them:

Mira (X-Men/Marvel MCU)

Lara (The Sandman)

Nova (Alien Prometheus/Covenant)

Ophera (The Boys)

___________________________

Mira (of Blood and Mischief)

Fandom: Marvel (MCU) & X-Men Name: Mira (Miroslayra) Frost - Vein (X-Men name) Age: 37 Pronouns/Sexuality: she/her - pansexual Hair colour: white with red regrowth Eyes colour: red Height: 1.83cm Languages: Russian - English - Asgardian Job/Occupation: so many, she worked for the X-Men and Shield for a short time, she deserted due to an accident into her teaching role at the X-Academy, after she had a collaboration with the Avengers and worked for a short time to the TVA. She always lived being a defensor. Powers: blood manipulation - dimensional travel (after corruption arc) Pairing: Loki (previously Erik Lehnsherr) Parents: Emma Frost & Emplate Like: hot tea - late night bath - calm sea and lakes - fireworks - meditation - learning unusual facts - simple designed clothes - her vintage iPod - discovering and learning - sharing with others her knowledge - poetry - deep space - helping others - poetry - quality times with loved ones Dislike: extremely crowded places - cold weather - syringes and needles - lighthouses - noisy and loud people - stay alone at home for long times

Mira Playlist 🎶

Mira Pinterest Board 🎨

Mira and Loki fanart 🖌️

___________________________

Lara (for your Eyes)

Fandom: Sandman Name: Lara Campbell-Fobso Age: 25 Pronouns/Sexuality: she/her - bisexual Hair colour: dyed dark red (originally brown) Eyes colour: hazel Height: 1.66cm Languages: English - French (not so much) Job/Occupation: no one, she was dreaming to became a writer or a journalist Powers: no one, she's human Pairing: The Corinthian Parents: unknown Like: hanging out - shooting polaroids - organize photos on her personal devices - writing - long car riding - dancing into the club - drinking alcohol - smoking - shopping on vintage store - luxury places that she cannot afford - physical contact - lazy days at home - sleeping for long times and dreaming Dislike: sand - following the rules - paying her rent and bills - working for the human system - the law - hot weather - people who makes fun of suicidal topics or psychiatric disorders

Lara Playlist 🎶

Lara Pinterest Board 🎨

___________________________

Nova (Heart-shaped Box)

Fandom: Alien Saga (Prometheus/Covenant) Name: Nova (synthetic model N.O.V.A 0) Age: 35 Pronouns/Sexuality: she/they - demisexual Hair colour: pearl white Eyes colour: transparent crystal white Height: 1.77cm Languages: she's programmed to speak all human languages and being able to communicate with numbers and morse code Job/Occupation: Commander for space missions for the Vasser-Armiger Corporation Powers: she's a sophysticated model of synthetic android, she has many abilities more than the humans, like speed, strenght, rapidity of thought, high IQ, she feel less pain, she's artificially made on the inside Pairing: David 8 Parents: artificially created by the Vasser-Armiger Corporation Like: floating in zero gravity condition - staring at the deep space - listening philosophy about Gods and creations explained - instrumental synth music - admiring new life forms (at some points she find fascinating even Xenormorphs) - flying with a spaceship - accomplish her missions - still lakes views Dislike: lazyness - rude manners - disrespect towards androids - AI without intellectual freedom - humans corporations

Nova Playlist 🎶

Nova Pinterest Board 🎨

___________________________

Ophera (American Horror Show)

Fandom: The Boys Name: Ophera (Miranda Reinslayer) Age: 33 Pronouns/Sexuality: she/her - bisexual Hair colour: obsidian black Eyes colour: deep red Height: 1,75cm Languages: American English Job/Occupation: working superhero for the Vought, full-time worldwide celebrity (she's a singer), third member of the Seven Powers: metals manipulation, her vocal cords are made of thin metal and she can sing wonderfully Pairing: no one (abusive relationship with Homelander, faking to be a couple for the media) Parents: she's a laboratory child raised by scientists and Madeline Stillwell

Like: live music - ride her motorcycle - spending time with his brother Illuminatio - drinking to forget - shopping - expensive stuff - taking photoshoot - doing missions outside the country - Queen Maeve and Starlight Dislike: radical religion - electric shocks jokes - injustices against women - when she got a bad selfie of herself - her superhero suit - flying high - skyscrapers (she suffer from vertigo) - sometimes Homelander

Ophera Playlist 🎶

Ophera Pinterest Board 🎨

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Object permanence

Picks and Shovels is a new, standalone technothriller starring Marty Hench, my two-fisted, hard-fighting, tech-scam-busting forensic accountant. You have TWO DAYS LEFT to pre-order it on my latest Kickstarter, which features a brilliant audiobook read by Wil Wheaton.

#20yrsago What if Bill Gates hired Linus Torvalds? https://web.archive.org/web/20050207155531/https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/microsoft_pr.html

#15yrsago Rogers Canada forces Android update that takes away root access https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/01/26/2358237/Canadian-Android-Carrier-Forcing-Firmware-Update

#15yrsago Sane copyright doesn’t treat all copying as the same https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jan/26/copyright-cory-doctorow

#15yrsago ACTA: the leaked secret memos https://web.archive.org/web/20100130005036/https://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4730/125/

#10yrsago Plan C: The top secret Cold War plan for martial law in the USA https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2015/jan/26/plan-c-top-secret-cold-war-battle-plan-bring-unite/

#10yrsago Google strong-arms indie musicians into accepting brutal, crowdfunding-killing deal for streaming service https://zoekeating.tumblr.com/post/108898194009/what-should-i-do-about-youtube

#10yrsago Great Firewall of Cameron blocks sex-abuse charities https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/24/internet-filters-block-sex-abuse-charities

#10yrsago The Haunted Mansion was almost the Tiki Room https://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2015/01/walt-disneys-enchanted-creepy-room.html

#5yrsago Two years after a federal law banning shackling women during childbirth was passed, prisoners in America are still giving birth in chains https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/24/shackled-pregnant-women-prisoners-birth

#5yrsago Andrew Cuomo’s naked hostility drives out MTA president Andy Byford, the “Train Daddy” who has transformed the world’s rail systems https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/you-blew-it-andrew-cuomo/

#5yrsago Fatal car wrecks are correlated with stock-market fluctuations https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629619301237

#5yrsago Banks have returned to the pre-2008 world of automatic credit-limit increases for credit cards used by already indebted people https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-23/banks-are-raising-credit-card-limits-without-asking-customers

#1yrago The long sleep of capitalism's watchdogs https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/26/noclar-war/#millionaire-on-billionaire-violence

Check out my Kickstarter to pre-order copies of my next novel, Picks and Shovels!

[mariacallous]

A jury in December found that Google broke US antitrust laws through deals and billing rules that gave an unfair boost to its Google Play app store. On Thursday, a judge began laying out how Google could be forced to change its business as a penalty. The remedies under consideration could drive the most consequential shakeup ever to Google’s dominance over the Android universe.

Fortnite video game developer Epic Games, which beat Google in the trial that saw a jury declare the Play store an illegal monopoly, is demanding that federal judge James Donato ban Google from contracts that deter competition. Epic also wants Google to be forced to help competing stores list more apps, giving them a competitive boost. The changes could enable Epic to realize its long-held plan to increase revenue by processing in-game purchases in Fortnite and other titles without using Google’s payment system, and marketing games via its own app store.

Google contends that Epic’s demands would threaten its users’ security and impair the businesses of partners, including Android device makers and app developers. The search company is appealing the jury’s verdict, which could delay the rollout of any penalties for many years—or void them altogether. But Google over the past few years already has had to make some costly changes in Europe and Asia due to court losses and new laws affecting the Play store, and a trial with Epic is currently underway in Australia.

“I want to be clear: Google as an illegal monopolist will have to pay some penalties,” Donato told Epic and Google at a hearing in San Francisco on Thursday. He explained that Google’s loss requires him to pry open the company’s grip on the Android ecosystem in a way that ends Google’s illegal monopoly and also removes its ill-gotten gains from years of unfair dominance.

That would mean major changes for the industry that has built up around Google’s Android operating system—and potentially more choices for consumers. It could require Google investing cash into new projects to make things right, Donato said.

Donato expressed frustration with Google’s claims that any changes would be bad for consumers and other businesses. “To jump up and down and say the new way is going to be a world no one wants to live in, it’s unfounded,” he said. But he also spent hours in the hearing quizzing two economists, one appearing on behalf of each company, about how to craft penalties for Google without being unreasonable.

Among Epic’s requests is that Google be barred from striking deals that prevent or discourage companies from working with alternatives to its app store. In the past the company has required hardware companies that want to offer Google Play on their devices to agree not to work with or promote alternative app stores. That prevented most consumers from ever seeing other app stores, since most device makers want to offer Google’s app store, because it is the largest.

Rival app stores such as those from Amazon and Samsung also have struggled to persuade developers to list their apps outside of Google Play, because maintaining apps in multiple stores takes extra work. To even the playing field, Epic proposes that Google be required for six years to provide rival stores a way to list apps that are hosted on Google Play. That would allow people to browse alternative stores without feeling they are missing out on popular apps, giving the store a better chance of success in the long term.

“Rival app stores [would] have incentives to sign up developers so that they can get revenue streams and so that they're not dead in the water when this provision expires,” Douglas Bernheim, a Stanford University economist testifying on behalf of Epic, told Donato. “Google [would have] incentives to continue to sign up developers so that they're not at a disadvantage.”

Matthew Gentzkow, a Stanford economist on Google’s side, responded that developers could suffer harm if their apps appeared in alternative stores that have more relaxed content policies than Google’s, because in that case their apps could appear next to, say, pornography apps that Google bars. “It could undermine their brand and reputation with users,” Gentzkow said.

Donato also raised questions about how to ease Google’s requirement that apps in the Play store use Google’s billing system to process payments, one of the rules that triggered Epic’s lawsuit. And he expressed a desire to find a way to “reduce the friction,” as he called it, that users face when trying to download an app from an app store other than Play on Android devices. Google’s operating system has been found to interrupt the process with a series of warnings that bypassing Play could trigger security issues, potentially deterring people from following through with a download.

Donato is expected to hear final arguments from Google and Epic in August. He told attorneys that he would then officially issue penalties by the Labor Day holiday in September, but then corrected himself, saying they would come “promptly.”

[dervampireprince]

An important update about Patreon, specially the IOS/Apple app.

From November 2024 any new memberships (I think that also includes if you were to leave and rejoin after November 2024) and purchase a membership to myself or any other Patreon creator via the Apple app store, Apple is going to add on a 30% fee that subscribers have to pay and all that extra 30% will go to Apple, not to the creators. If you already subscribed in the past via the IOS app, you won't be subjected to this new 30% charge. As long as you signed up via the website/Android, using the IOS app won't charge you, only subscribing via the app will. So please be aware subscriptions to Patreons will cost 30% more money if you do it via the IOS app, it's cheaper so sign up via the website/Android.

It is also getting rid of the first-of-the-month billing option. I have the choice to switch now, or be forced to in November 2025 when every creator on Patreon will be forced to switch to subscription billing (which means if you joined on the 4th of August you'd be charged on the 4th of every next month, etc). This also means pay-per-creation that many creators use who make content like long video essays only once or twice per year and thus only charge their Patreon members those one or two times a year they upload, will be forced to charge their Patreon members every month once November 2025 hits. This forced changed is only happening because Apple is demanding it, wants a cut of every creator's earnings, and has threatened to remove Patreon from the app store if they don't force these changes.

I know me being forced to charge you guys the date of you signed up on every following month, but it does screw me over a big. It screws over creators who give out physical rewards like sticker clubs, in fact Patreon used to advertise first-of-the-month billing as being for creators who had physical rewards to mail out. Why does this matter to me when I don't offer physical rewards? It's not the biggest deal for me personally, but I do collect audio requests on the first of every month, the Patreon outro is recorded once at the start of each month based on who is there on the 1st of the month and I will not be re-recording it every day when new people join. And my brain just finds everyone being charged on the same day easier to keep track off.

I'm sure some of you will prefer the new billing method. I know some people have been bothered if they sign up on the 31st of one month just to be charged again the next day, but that has always been written out when you sign up for memberships, you could have chosen to just wait a day before joining.

So I'll be making the switch now, because if I wait until they force me in November 2025 I will have forgotten and it'll catch me off-guard. So any new Patreon members will be charged recurring on the date they signed up (e.g. if you signed up on the 17th of August, you'd be charged on the 17th of each month. I have no idea how this works if you sign up on a leap day or on the 31st of August when there's no 31st of September, I don't know if Patreon picks a day earlier or a day later).

Now, what does switching mean for existing Patreon members? Nothing. If you signed up before today then you'll keep getting charged on the first o each month. Which feels a bit unfair for old Patreon members to not get to switch to the new system, but Patreon forces you to stay on the old one. I don't know if cancelling your subscription and rejoining would allow you to join the new system or not, I don't know if Patreon would remember you.

Sorry this is sudden, Patreon just sent out the email at around 3pm today and I only just saw it

[fluidangel]

ok since i've been sharing some piracy stuff i'll talk a bit about how my personal music streaming server is set up. the basic idea is: i either buy my music on bandcamp or download it on soulseek. all of my music is stored on an external hard drive connected to a donated laptop that's next to my house's internet router. this laptop is always on, and runs software that lets me access and stream my any song in my collection to my phone or to other computers. here's the detailed setup:

my home server is an old thinkpad laptop with a broken keyboard that was donated to me by a friend. it runs yunohost, a linux distribution that makes it simpler to reuse old computers as servers in this way: it gives you a nice control panel to install and manage all kinds of apps you might want to run on your home server, + it handles the security part by having a user login page & helping you install an https certificate with letsencrypt.

***

to stream my music collection, i use navidrome. this software is available to install from the yunohost control panel, so it's straightforward to install. what it does is take a folder with all your music and lets you browse and stream it, either via its web interface or through a bunch of apps for android, ios, etc.. it uses the subsonic protocol, so any app that says it works with subsonic should work with navidrome too.

***

to listen to my music on my phone, i use DSub. It's an app that connects to any server that follows the subsonic API, including navidrome. you just have to give it the address of your home server, and your username and password, and it fetches your music and allows you to stream it. as mentionned previously, there's a bunch of alternative apps for android, ios, etc. so go take a look and make your pick. i've personally also used and enjoyed substreamer in the past. here are screenshots of both:

***

to listen to my music on my computer, i use tauon music box. i was a big fan of clementine music player years ago, but it got abandoned, and the replacement (strawberry music player) looks super dated now. tauon is very new to me, so i'm still figuring it out, but it connects to subsonic servers and it looks pretty so it's fitting the bill for me.

***

to download new music onto my server, i use slskd which is a soulseek client made to run on a web server. soulseek is a peer-to-peer software that's found a niche with music lovers, so for anything you'd want to listen there's a good chance that someone on soulseek has the file and will share it with you. the official soulseek client is available from the website, but i'm using a different software that can run on my server and that i can access anywhere via a webpage, slskd. this way, anytime i want to add music to my collection, i can just go to my server's slskd page, download the files, and they directly go into the folder that's served by navidrome.

slskd does not have a yunohost package, so the trick to make it work on the server is to use yunohost's reverse proxy app, and point it to the http port of slskd 127.0.0.1:5030, with the path /slskd and with forced user authentification. then, run slskd on your server with the --url-base slskd, --no-auth (it breaks otherwise, so it's best to just use yunohost's user auth on the reverse proxy) and --no-https (which has no downsides since the https is given by the reverse proxy anyway)

***

to keep my music collection organized, i use beets. this is a command line software that checks that all of the tags on your music are correct and puts the file in the correct folder (e.g. artist/album/01 trackname.mp3). it's a pretty complex program with a ton of features and settings, i like it to make sure i don't have two copies of the same album in different folders, and to automatically download the album art and the lyrics to most tracks, etc. i'm currently re-working my config file for beets, but i'd be happy to share if someone is interested.

that's my little system :) i hope it gives the inspiration to someone to ditch spotify for the new year and start having a personal mp3 collection of their own.